Mischief Maker for Hire
by Sin-t-a-h
Summary: Betty Cooper is mad at someone and wants to get back at them. She enlists the help of Riverdale's resident mischief-maker Reggie Mantle to achieve her ends.
1. Chapter 1

**Mischief Maker for hire**

**By: sintah**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Archie. I make no profits from this story.**

**Chapter 1**

"Well, Archie and I need to head out if we are gonna make that party." Veronica Lodge said with a careless wave of her well-manicured hand, the nails were an inch long and painted fire engine red, matching her dress. "See you later, Betty darling! Come on Archie!"

Betty Cooper stared at her, speechless with indignation. Veronica was deliberately stealing a date from her.

"Yes Ronnie!" Archie said obediently. He jumped up in his ungainly way and helped Veronica into her coat. Veronica gave him a smile that apparently melted Archie. He smiled back goofily.

Betty Cooper watched them walk out of the Chocklit Shoppe arm in arm. Half an hour ago, she was happy, because Archie had asked her to go bowling with him, even though it was only because Veronica said she was too tired to go out with him today. But then Veronica had suddenly appeared in the Chocklit Shoppe, and came to sit at their table. Immediately she was monopolizing the conversation, rambling on about some party a rich socialite friend of her was having.

"Would you like to go to the party with me, Archiekins?" she had said in a honeyed voice, "It starts in an hour, the dress code is casual, so we can go right now!"

"Wow, sure, Ronnie, I would love to go with you!" Archie had gushed excitedly, completely forgetting about his date with Betty.

And now Betty was sitting alone at the table, mentally cursing her so called best friend in the world. She had not missed the little triumphant smile Veronica had given her. She new exactly what she was doing.

Suddenly Ethel was in front of her, hair tied with multicolored ribbons, drawing out a chair to sit down.

"I saw that, Bets!' she said indignantly, "God, Ronnie can be such a bitch sometimes. Scratch that, Ronnie is such a bitch all the time!"

Betty was too mad to say anything to defend her best friend.

"She had no intention of going to the party before she understood that Archie had asked me out!" she said.

"I know!" Ethel said, "Why do you let her treat you like that? I say, you teach her a lesson."

"How? Like I could teach Veronica a lesson!" Betty rolled her eyes. "I lack the evilness."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Ethel said in a sing-song voice. "Anyone can come up with some evil scheme if they tried long enough. Go to war, woman!"

The door opened and Midge walked in, looking trim and pretty. "Hi Bets! Hi Ethel!"

"Hey Midge!" Ethel said.

"Where's your other half?" asked Betty.

"Running some errand." Midge flopped down in a chair beside them. "What's going on with you girls?"

"Betty here is thinking about getting back to a certain girl friend." replied Ethel.

"Ronnie?" grinned Midge, "Nah, you are far too good a person, Betty. You don't have what it takes to get revenge on Ron. What did she do anyway?"

As Ethel narrated the tale of Veronica's iniquity, Betty wondered whether it was really impossible for her to get even with Ronnie. She imagined various schemes, but they seemed more and more childish, and not really practical.

"I just wish you could just pay someone to do the mischief for you!" Betty cried in exasperation. "Like you hire someone to mow your lawn or something!"

At this moment a voice behind them drawled, "Hey ladies!"

_X_


	2. Chapter 2

**Mischief Maker for hire**

**By: sintah**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Archie. I make no profits from this story.**

**Chapter 2**

"Hi ladies!" said Reggie Mantle; he presented them with his patented playboy smile, the one that he had perfected over the years to charm females.

"Hi Reggie." the girls chorused. Reggie wore a collared red shirt, the top two buttons open, and black slacks; as always he looked as though he had just stepped out from a magazine cover. No wonder he was so popular with women, Betty mused as he looked at him, not as popular as _he_ thought he was, though!

"Uh, Ethel, you look just as bonny and delightful as ever!" Reggie said gallantly. Ethel giggled; she knew perfectly well that Reggie did not find her at all attractive, but he was so practiced at giving compliments that it came easy to him. Even though the compliment was not honest, she thought it was nice just to hear the words.

"Thanks, Reg." Ethel said.

"And you, Bets, are always as pretty as a picture; quite the princess actually."

"Very kind of you to say so." Betty said, rolling her eyes and chuckling.

Thus having done his duty by them, Reggie now transferred his attention to Midge.

"Midge, my beautiful temptress, you just take my breath away!" cried he.

"Right, that's why you talk to me last of all." Midge said, pretending to pout.

"It's because you are my number one girl, and I want all the time in the world to express my fascination for you." Reggie returned immediately, kissing her hand with a flourish.

The others laughed at Midge and Reggie's antics which none of the kids took seriously, except Moose of course.

"I thought Veronica was your number one girl?" Midge teased.

"What? How can you doubt me so?" Reggie exclaimed theatrically, putting a hand on his chest, "Ronnie is a friend, we have a fun time together. You are the one who has my fancy!"

"A likely story!" Midge said in mock anger.

"Think how I brave the danger of being pounded into earth by that big ape to see your gorgeous face everyday," Reggie told her, "That gorilla doesn't keep me…" he stopped, eyes widening comically. The girls turned to see 'the gorilla' in question coming in through the door of the Chocklit Shoppe.

"Hey Moose, sweetie!" chirped Midge. Betty and Ethel snickered; only Midge could flirt outrageously with somebody one moment, and be all lovey-dovey with her boyfriend the next.

"D-uh, hi Midge." said Moose. His eyes fell on Reggie. "What are you doing here? Making time with muh girl?" he growled, reaching to seize the other boy's collar. Reggie quickly moved to evade the hand.

"Of course not Moosie, I wouldn't do that!" he said with fake earnestness.

"I know you, Mantle! You…"

"I wasn't even talking to Midge!" declared Reggie, his devious brain working overtime, trying to get him out of being thrashed. "Actually I am here on a date."

"D-uh! Date with muh girl? I am gonna kill…"

"No!" Reggie interrupted desperately, "With… Betty! I am on a date with Betty!" He mentally patted himself on the back for being able to come up with a good explanation. "Isn't that true, Bets?" he looked at her with pleading eyes.

Moose glanced at Betty; the kind-hearted blonde immediately put her arms around Reggie's neck.

"Yes, Moose, Reg and I are on a date." she kissed Reggie's cheek for good measure. "Midge was just waiting for you."

"D-uh." muttered Moose, apparently accepting this explanation. "Well, we should get going. Come on, Midge." Midge said goodbye and the couple left. As soon as they were gone, Betty and Ethel burst into laughter; Reggie joined in too. Run-ins with Moose was a daily occurrence for him, he was not afraid of beatings really.

"Dodged the bullet again," he smirked.

"You sure are good at making up excuses, Reg." said Ethel, slapping him on the arm.

"Just using my god-given super wits." Reggie answered modestly. He put an arm around Betty's shoulders. "Thanks for playing along, Betty! I owe you."

"Yeah, you do!" Betty told him.

_X_


	3. Chapter 3

**Mischief Maker for hire**

**By: sintah**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Archie. I make no profits from this story.**

**Chapter 3**

Reggie smirked and leaned towards Betty, his eyes alight with laughter.

"Now, how can I pay you back, beautiful?" he asked, brushing her cheek lightly with the back of his knuckles. "How about by…. giving you the chance of going on a date with the sexiest man in the world?"

"Oh yes!" Betty cried, her hands clasped in mock rapture, "Have you seen him around?"

"Of course, I see him everyday." Reggie answered without missing a beat. "In the _mirror_."

Betty and Ethel laughed at this; there was no winning one over the Great Mantle. Betty stood up and smoothed her skirt.

"Alright, stud, why don't you and I take a nice walk down Maple Street and discuss how you can pay your debt?" she said batting her lashes at him.

"That would be my pleasure, beautiful." Reggie offered her his arm with a flourish, which she took laughingly. They both said goodbye to Big Ethel and walked out in the rosy October afternoon.

They walked along Maple Street, where the trees at both sides of the road had the color of autumn. A cool gust of wind swept over them, making Betty pull her denim jacket tighter around herself.

"It's a bit chilly, huh?" Reggie put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"You're just wearing that sweatshirt!" said Betty, looking at his jacketless figure. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah, I am just too hot." Reggie smirked. "Hot as hell!"

"Ha ha, that's appropriate, as you are quite the devil." Betty teased, snuggling against his side for warmth.

"What can I say, chicks dig it!" he said with a graceful shrug.

"Well, you use your evil powers for other uses too." said Betty slowly. "Like tricking people, making trouble. I was wondering…"

"Wondering what, Betty?" They had stopped walking, and were now facing each other.

"Would it be possible for you to use your super power for my benefit?" Betty asked in a rush.

Reggie stared at her

"I am not sure I follow you, Bets."

"Let's say that, I want some mischief done to somebody who deserves it, and want to hire your services."

"You want me to help you tricking someone?" Reggie asked incredulously. "Who? Veronica? What did she do now?"

"The usual," Betty said angrily. "Deliberately stole a date with Archie from me. She thinks she is _so_ clever! I would just _love_ to take her down a peg or two."

"Wow." said Reggie, blinking rapidly. "Sooo, you want to outwit Ronnie? I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"That's where _you_ come in." Betty said with a evil smile, "You are going to help me."

"_What?_" he exclaimed,"Why would I do that?"

"You owe me, remember? This is how you pay me back. And anyway, this should be right up your alley."

"I don't want Ronnie out for my blood!" Reggie argued. "And she would never date me again if I did anything like that."

"But that's just it!" cried Betty, "She won't know you have anything to do with it! My plan is, she won't have a clue what's happening, and why it's happening."

"Hmm," said Reggie speculatively, "that would be pretty clever if we could pull it off…You! If _you _could pull it off!"

"Ha!" Betty threw up her arms in a victorious gesture, "you said WE! You are so busted, Mantle. You actually _want _to do this, don't you? You want to outwit Veronica Lodge!"

"Okay, it's true that it would be… an exciting challenge," Reggie said sheepishly, "But it would mean catastrophe for me if I get caught. I would never be able to take Ronnie out again and the coast would be clear for Carrot-top!"

"Don't worry, we won't get caught." Betty soothed. "We will keep the whole thing quiet. We'll do the planning discretely, and set the schemes in motion when nobody's looking."

"It would take a lot of planning," Reggie scratched his head, "What if people get suspicious when we are going over stuff and ask what we are doing together?"

"Oh no, they won't! We will tell them we are on a date." Betty said quickly, seizing his hand. "Come on, let's go to my house and start making plans right now!"

She turned and began to walk, pulling a half reluctant, half excited Reggie behind her. _What I am getting myself into?_ he wondered as he was dragged away by the determined blonde.

_X_


End file.
